Anglels catcher Hank Conger (right) slides safely into second with an RBI double ahead of the tag by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

Written by

Brian Heyman
| @bheyman99

The Yankees were back home Friday night after their eventful peak-and-valley road swing to Tampa Bay and Boston, the one that came with two smudges to the starting staff, the pine tar on Michael Pineda's neck and Ivan Nova's elbow getting wrecked.

Hiroki Kuroda took the ball against the Angels at well-chilled Yankee Stadium, and a starter got smudged again. This time, there were smudges all over his pitching line. In fact, the 39-year-old righty was charged with eight runs and 10 hits in 42⁄3 innings, his most runs ever allowed in a major-league career that dates to 2008.